STANFORD, Calif. - The newly launched Rubenstein-Bing Student-Athlete Civic Engagement Program (ACE) provides one-time funding for accepted Stanford and Duke student-athletes to participate in three-week, immersive summer service experiences with an international community partner.
Scheduled to begin in two weeks, ACE is a joint collaboration between the Stanford and Duke athletic departments, as well as the Haas Center for Public Service at Stanford and DukeEngage at Duke. The program is made possible by the generous support of David Rubenstein and Peter and Helen Bing.
"Stanford Athletics is incredibly excited for our first cohort of ACE to embark on a journey allowing them to deeply engage with their host communities, each other and their Duke peers," said Jaquish & Kenninger Director of Athletics Bernard Muir. "We are thrilled to partner with Duke in this unique program that will give our student-athletes a transformational experience, enhancing their own personal development and allowing them to contribute to the larger Stanford community when they return to campus."
Student-athletes from both institutions will have the chance to volunteer together in South Africa, Vietnam, China and India. Each program will offer full-time volunteer placements for 10 ACE student-athlete participants. Student-athletes will engage in reflection with on-site program staff and immersive enrichment activities to learn more about the history, culture, and issues facing the communities in which they are serving.
Stanford will be represented by 19 student-athletes (13 female, six male) across 12 sport programs, with women's gymnastics, men's cross country/track and field and women's cross country/track and field each sending three student-athletes.
South Africa: June 19-July 10
Student-athletes will assist with basic healthcare initiatives, activity-based education and teaching, light construction and sports programs in the Nomzamo township near Cape Town.
Participants (5): Mariah Lee ('18) - women's soccer, Anya Miller ('18) - women's rowing, Trevor Rex ('19) - men's track and field, Taylor Rice ('16) - women's gymnastics, Jaisel Sandhu ('19) - men's rowing.
Vietnam: June 30-July 24
Student-athletes will teach academics, sports and life skills to students at under-resourced middle schools in the Mekong Delta with the aim of encouraging them to prepare for higher education.
Participants (5): Carolyn Lee ('19) - softball, Brittany McGee ('19) - women's track and field, Madison O'Leary ('18) - lacrosse, Rachel Reichenbach ('18) - women's track and field, Sean Strong ('19) - fencing.
China: July 17-August 7
Student-athletes will contribute to the sustainable development of underserved communities through youth environmental science education and sports while learning about conservation and preservation in Yunnan Province.
Participants (4): Jenna Frowein ('16) - women's gymnastics, Jack Keelan ('16) - men's cross country/track and field, Arden Pettit ('18) - softball, Ryan Smith ('19) - men's volleyball.
India: July 31-August 21
Student-athletes will serve as teaching and coaching assistants for sports activities, English as a second language courses, and computer literacy initiatives for youth at a community center in Dakshinpuri, New Delhi.
Participants (5): Maddy Berkson ('18) - women's cross country/track and field, Sammy Gallagher ('18) - women's swimming and diving, Patrick Gibson ('17) - men's cross country/track and field, Nicolette McNair ('17) - women's gymnastics, Alexa Romano ('19) - women's basketball.
A Baltimore native, 1970 graduate of Duke and the current chair of the university's Board of Trustees, David Rubenstein is co-founder and managing director of The Carlyle Group, a global alternative asset manager. He is also an active civic leader and serves on numerous boards, including those of the Smithsonian Institution, Johns Hopkins University, the University of Chicago, the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, the Kennedy Center and the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Rubenstein and his wife, Alice Rogoff Rubenstein, have three children.
Peter Bing, '55, has a long record of service to Stanford, including more than 30 years as a university trustee. He and his wife, Helen, are also among the university's most loyal and generous supporters.